Shivani Thakur
Published on: June 27, 2022 at 14:31 IST
A day after the Supreme Court gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a clean bill of health in the 2002 Gujarat Riots Case, the Gujarat Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested campaigner Teesta Setalvad at her Mumbai home.
The Gujarat riots conspiracy case is the subject of the FIR, which makes accusations of falsifying evidence and starting fake processes.
The Supreme Court had noted that the Petition was filed with “ulterior intentions” to “keep the pot boiling” while dismissing the plea suggesting a bigger conspiracy into the Gujarat Riots. The Court added that individuals who misused the legal system should be punished.
In order the Supreme Court observed, “Intriguingly, the present proceedings have been pursued for last 16 years… to keep the pot boiling, obviously, for ulterior design. As a matter of fact, all those involved in such abuse of process, need to be in the dock and proceeded with in accordance with law.”
The complaint by the Gujarat police names Setalvad, Retd IPS Officer RB Sreekumar and imprisoned former DIG (Gujarat) Sanjeev Bhatt alleging offences of forgery, giving false evidence, conspiracy, fabricating records, false charges.
“…for finding out the behind the scenes criminal conspiracy and financial and other benefits for commission of various serious offences in collusion with other individuals, entities and organisations,” the Gujarat Police complaint states.
Teesta alleged that her arrest was illegal. She alleged that she was restrained from speaking to her lawyer, and claimed there was no warrant and that copy of FIR was not shown to her.